Canine Good Citizens or: Getting Therapy
The FurBabies keep their New Year's Resolutions and train to be Therapy Dogs
FurBabies February 5, 2024
The FurBabies characters made New Year Resolutions for 2024 on the 31st of December, 2023. Stella resolved to become a Therapy Dog. Shawm’s resolution was, by a remarkable coincidence, to also become a Therapy Dog.
They will keep the resolutions.
Preparations began in January when Stella, Shawm and Sirius got their new licenses and received their shots. Therapy Dogs must be up to date on distemper and rabies shots and must wear collars. Stella, Shawm and Sirius got new collars for Christmas and will wear them, and their tags, from now on.
Shawm revealed a weakness while at the vet’s. The crying and dragging into the rear office is one of the few autobiographical elements I’ve put in the strip. I behaved very badly the first time I was taken to the doctor’s for a shot. I was old enough to know better but acted badly anyway. All my previous vaccines were received in school, and I wasn’t used to getting it elsewhere. I only behaved like that once. It remains to be seen if Shawm does this again next year.
FurBabies January 14, 2024
Several regular FurBabies readers are therapy dog handlers. Their comments offered me valuable information about the training that therapy dogs must receive. It’s not as formal as that of ‘helper dogs’ who assist people with impaired sight or mobility. Helper dogs are often specially bred and always rigorously trained. When they have completed the training they do not remain with the people who trained them but are given to the people who need them.
Therapy dog training is not as demanding but there is a Canine Good Citizenship Test that each dog must pass before they are allowed to visit hospitals, schools, and other venues that ask for them. Therapy dog services ‘book’ dogs like actors and they even have head shots and little biographies so the venues can pick their pooches.
I found the Test online and corresponded with a local therapy dog service. The Test, the advice from my readers, and information from the therapy dog organization changed my entire story line, adding a few twists and turns at the end. The story became much better.
It pays to do research.
FurBabies is a comic strip but all my stories must have a small kernel of reality since the characters do not live in a fantasy world. Some future story lines will take place in dreams that allow me to introduce a fantasy element.
“The Test” story line begins on February 5 and runs until the 24th.
Floof and Sirius will also appear in the story but they made different resolutions that will have different outcomes.
Kate started her pickleball games on January 31. Most pickleball strips will appear when we have warmer weather, for obvious reasons. I will see how this develops. Kate plays pickleball as well as I played badminton at her age. This is why I am a cartoonist and not a sportswoman.
FurBabies February 1, 2024
In a related development, I did an interview today about ‘animating animals for Disney’ for a new podcast called WALT’S OASIS. The interview will air on March 7 and I will update this page with a link when I get it. I talk about a lost film that I animated on that I would dearly love to see again. Perhaps a listener will find it. That would be nice.
Happy Monday and I hope that you enjoy ‘The Test’.
The "at the vet" series was one of my favorites. Shawm's reaction was such a surprise and so funny.
I'm sure he will still make a great therapy dog just the same, as he wouldn't be the one getting a shot. Stella, of course, will be a star.
We look forward to seeing the interview. It sounds interesting, and I'm wondering about the lost film.